Memorys Significance in the Formation of Ethnic Identity: A Case Study of Deported Meskhetians Residing in the Samtskhe–Javakheti Region

Authors

  • Manana Tseretel

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34257/GJHSSCVOL24IS5PG53

Keywords:

meskhetians, ethnic identity, memory, trauma, deportation, narratives, history, postmemory

Abstract

This paper examines the role of memory in shaping ethnic identity among deported Meskhetians residing in Georgia s Samtskhe-Javakheti region Through interviews and analysis it explores how personal collective and historical narratives of the 1944 deportation and origins impact contemporary identity formations Differences emerge between scholarly perspectives attributing Meskhetian roots to ancient Georgian tribes versus Turkish peoples Despite varied origin narratives the shared trauma of deportation serves as a collective touchstone passed down through storytelling and post-memory Collective trauma is transmitted across generations through stories and shapes the identity of those who did not directly live through the traumatic events themselves It is an imaginative creative memory defined by distance from the original events The paper situates these multifaceted memories and identities within theoretical frameworks on cultural trauma narrative construction of history and the complexity of lived versus recorded pasts

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How to Cite

Manana Tseretel. (2024). Memorys Significance in the Formation of Ethnic Identity: A Case Study of Deported Meskhetians Residing in the Samtskhe–Javakheti Region. Global Journal of Human-Social Science, 24(C5), 53–60. https://doi.org/10.34257/GJHSSCVOL24IS5PG53

Memorys Significance in the Formation of Ethnic Identity: A Case Study of Deported  Meskhetians Residing in the Samtskhe–Javakheti Region

Published

2024-06-21